The Arrow
by ur1onlybravecoward
Summary: A sickening thunk and whispered prayers. Someone is listening. *One curse word*


Forgive me for this, but I had to do it. Stress for finals week made me want to write and I thought of this. Although I normally write Seddie and BB/Rae I've thought of dabbling in Tokka. (Can you detect a trend in the pairings I like?) Please, tell me what you like/disliked/what I can improve upon, seeing as this is my first Tokka and I always appreciate some constructive criticism! I don't own Avatar or any of it's characters, ideas, awesomeness, or bending. T-T I wish I had the last one. I earth bend! Anywho, enjoy!

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"Please! Please, don't do this! Toph, stay with me! Toph!" Sokka held the young girl in his lap and tried futilely to staunch the flow of blood blossoming out of her chest. Somehow neither of them had been quick enough to stop that arrow. Toph hadn't seen it coming, and he only caught a glimpse of brown wiz by before he heard that sickening thunk, combined with the rattle of others hitting the ground around them. He knew the wound was fatal, he knew there was no possible way she would be walking away from this, but he still begged and pleaded with no one for something he knew he couldn't loose.

Pulling her close he wrapped her small body in his arms and shielded her with his chest, preparing to take any other arrows that might fly there way. If she wasn't leaving, neither was he. With only moments before the archers reloaded their arrows, he started to pray to any spirit he could think of.

Toph grabbed a fistful of his tunic and pulled his head close.

"Stop the begging . . . it's beneath you," she ordered in a hoarse gasps. "Get your ass . . . to shelter . . . and stop risking you life for something useless . . . I won't leave seeing you doing something this stupid." With that she shoved his shoulders back.

Sokka sat for a moment in stunned silence, but that was all Toph needed. Gathering her remaining strength, she trailed her fingers along the ground and pulled her hands upward. The earth responded with mounds of dirt that encased Sokka's shins. Toph thrust her wrists to the side and rolled her body the other way making the earth carry Sokka in the opposite direction she fell.

She tried to stop the scream the ripped through her when her fall jarred the arrow, managing a harsh yelp instead, but Sokka still heard it.

He tried a grab for her wrist, but was too slow and could only watch as more arrows fell from the sky, aimed at the fallen earth bender. Another prayer of '_Please don't let this happen.' _ran though his mind, when a flash of light burned his eyes.

Blinking spots from his vision Sokka saw the arrows frozen in place, yards off the ground. He watched as a slow beam of light wound its way from the moon to Toph's broken figure and Yue stepped down from the sky. Gently she settled down beside Toph.

"Hello, young one."

Toph stared, wide-eyed.

"Wh-who are-" she was cut off as Yue put her finger to the girl's lips.

"Shhhh," the moon goddess smiled. "There's no need for explanations right now. Let's just say I owe someone a favor, and he asked very nicely for me to do this." She ran her fingers over the fletching of the arrow and murmured softly. A light glow curled around the weapon and slowly, it began to break apart and float to Yue's hand. Soon the goddess held a stone, a feather, and a budding branch.

"Given time, all things will return to what they once were," she said setting the items down.

Bending back over Toph she pulled a small vial of water out of her sleeve and uncorked it. Pouring the contents over Toph's wound, she murmured some more words. Dipping her hands in the gore pooling on the ground she gestured to Sokka. A small cut split his lip and a bead of blood drifted to Yue's outstretched, blood-smeared fingers and mixed with what was already there.

Toph's cut was almost all healed when Yue spoke again.

"I give him to you, Toph Bei Fong. Protect and love him as I once wanted to," She smiled. "He may be stupid, but he's sweet too."

With the blood on her fingers she painted a cross on the half-healed arrow wound and poured the rest of her water out over it, sealing the rest of the skin up.

Pointing to Sokka again Yue looked at the young girl, "go to him now and get away from this place."

Toph scrambled up, holding her ripped and bloodied shirt and ran to Sokka, too bewildered to think of anything else.

Yue stood up slowly, as if out of breath, and turned back to the floating arrows.

"Given time, al things will return to where they once were."

The arrows flipped in place. Yue reached up her hands and mimed pulling a bowstring back. She released her imaginary string, and all the arrows flew back to where they came from.

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Sending you all love!


End file.
